Article by Stephanie Hobby

Photos by Keely Zimmermann

It’s arguably the coolest classroom in the state, and come Friday nights, when most other teenagers are taking a break from studies and socializing with friends, a small group of their peers is diving back in, learning woodworking, welding, aerodynamics, physics, and aviation. They congregate in a one-of-a-kind hangar at Billings Logan Airport, which once belonged to famed Apollo 8 and Gemini 7 Mission Commander Col. Frank Borman, and their mission is to build full-scale aircraft. For the past 25 years, Billings science teacher Patrick Kenney has been orchestrating this unique learning opportunity, leading middle and high school students through all aspects of construction, and the team is now on its sixth plane.   

This year, the students are in the final stretch of building a 1935 Boeing 306B fixed wing, in tribute to the Greatest Generation. Kenney, who is currently a science teacher at Ben Steele Middle School, says that once complete, this plane is slated to be hung in the cafeteria, alongside a 1928 Northrup Glider built by a previous hangar team. The school is named in honor of WWII Veteran and Bataan Death March survivor, Ben Steele, who went on to become a legendary artist and teacher known for documenting his wartime experiences in art, and the aircraft will be accompanied by a mural recognizing other Montana natives who fought in WWII.  

 “It's a pretty respectable experience, and it’s honorable to be a part of something that's going to hang in the middle school, said Billings West senior Tyler Hauck. “It gives me a sense of pride to say, once this is hanging, that I was a part of this, that I helped build this. It's been a great experience through high school, and getting to know the community at the airport, working with someone like Pat, I mean, he has a wealth of knowledge.” 

Now in his 32nd year with Billings Public Schools, Kenney, who also teaches 11/12 Science with the Upward Bound Program, started his pioneering STEM program in 2000 after noticing that his students at Ponderosa Elementary School could use an after-school, hands-on project to spark their interest. After some encouragement from his mother, Margaret Kenney, he and his students started working on a 14-foot sailboat in his classroom.  

By 2001, with the help of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 57, he turned his focus to the skies. The Chapter offered their hangar for Kenney’s vision, and work commenced on a 1896 Chanute Glider, followed by a 1900 Wright Flyer. Both full-scale aircraft are hanging at the Billings Airport, each taking nine months to complete. As that endeavor wrapped up, the work caught the attention of Col. Borman, who enthusiastically supported the program and frequently visited the students at work. The next time you visit the airport, you can see Borman’s signature on the rudder of the 1900 Wright Flyer.  

In subsequent years, Kenney’s students built another three aircraft: a Chanute 1896 Triplane, a Pietenpol Air Camper, now housed at the Musselshell County Museum in Roundup, and a 1928 Northrup Glider, which hangs in the Ben Steele Middle School cafeteria. 

 Borman remained an enthusiastic advocate for the program, eventually transferring his larger hangar at the airport to Kenney’s team, where students meet today. “One reason Frank offered us the hangar is that he just really enjoyed seeing the kids up there. Access to aviation is almost impossible these days, and EAA is a great avenue for some grassroots access. Frank was a huge advocate for EAA, plus, he loved seeing the kids up there,” Kenney said. “It was pure generosity.”  

 The current construction project, the 1935 Boeing 306B, was part of a series of proposed flying wing aircraft, which never made it to production, so this is the first time this model has ever been built.  

photo by Patrick Kenney

“I love working with my hands, and being a part of something that has never been built before, having that new experience that literally nobody else has ever had,” said Billings West senior Eden Benkley, who has been part of the project since eighth grade. “I feel like being up there has really changed me and made me a better person. I've learned so much through it.” Benkley, like many of her peers at the hangar, is working on obtaining her pilot’s license and plans to pursue an aviation career.  

Kenney is well-versed in outside-the-box thinking about student education, and he has led students to incredible successes. Over the last 26 years, the EAA Chapter 57 has put 180 students through local, state, and ISEF World’s Science Fairs, and has competed in 10 years of Science Bowl, winning 5 National Championships in Engineering and Design at the National Science Bowl in Washington, DC.  

 Kenney and his students are currently raising funds to finish this historic aircraft. Costs continue to rise, and many of the needed materials are now out of reach. If you would like to learn more about commemorating a loved one who served in WWII with this mural, or to partner with Kenney’s team through a tax-deductible donation, you can visit their Give Butter site at https://givebutter.com/j4XxSN.  

Originally printed in the May 2026 issue of Simply Local Magazine

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